Sheet-controlling mechanism



A. P. GUSTAFSON'.

SHEET CONTROLLING MECHANISM. APPLICATION. FILED MAY 26.1917. I 1,429,905. 'Patentedfiept 19, 1922.

2 SHEETS SHEET l.

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, A. P. GUSTAFSON.

sum commune MECHANISM;

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 19!]. 1,429,905. PatentedSept. 19, 1922.

4 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Sept. 19, 1922.

STATES ADOLPH I. GUSTAFSON, OF CHIGAGQILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO 'M. SGHULZ COMPANY,

01Ev CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

snnnr-con'rn'omme, MECHANISM.

Applicationhled May 26, 1917'. Serial No. 171,109. 1

Mechanismgof which the folloiving' is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawlngs, forming a part OfthlS specification.

My invention relates to sheet controlling mechanism, and especially to "a form thereof in Which the travelling music sheet as it. progresses over the tracker *board 'is -au tomatically and repeatedly restored to'proper position to register the music sheet perforations with the tracker board cip'enings.

Qne object 'of the invention is to provide a simple, practical, and effective apparatus of this kind. j. I

Another object of the .inventionis to insure accuracy and reliabilityof operation.

Another object is to reduce the necessary work on the part of the operator, so that there can be no improper operation of the apparatus because of ignorance on the part of the operator. V w

In accordance with my invention I arrange 'to engage one of the rolls supporting the music sheet, as for example the music spool on which the music sheet is wound. so that said roll may be adjusted to effect a proper adjustment of the mnsicsheet relatively to the tracker board to obtain proper regis'tra tion of the music sheet per forations and the tracker board openings. I also arrange to automatically adjust said roll, .as for exam le, the music spool, so that as the sheet is unwound and progresses continuously over the tracker bonasaid sheet will be necessary to restore it to position in which and tracker board.

By thus engaging the music spool and automatically adjusting the same, instead of effecting an adjustment of the music sheet through the instrumentality of the sheet itself I avoid all inaccuracies and nnpr'oper workings due to irregularities in theshejet itself or in its edges, which irregularities are boundto occur after the sheet is used a little and its edges become slightly warped, torn or frayed. Furthermore I provide vautomatically for accurate adjustment incase of elevation of a music sheet controlling the surface of th'e music sheet on t automatically 'adjustedfrom time to time as sheets of different width by engaging; the

music "roll or spool and preferably both ends of'the same, so that'variation in the width of the music sheet will have no effect. In "the same way variations in the length the music spool also fail to make any difference in the accuracy and effectiveness of the operation. j i

l In the accompanying drawingsl ig. 1 is'an mechanism embodyinginy present invention "Fig.2is an end elevation of'the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the ap'aratus; and l i ig s l and 5 are views of details of confstruction. i

In the, accompanying drawingsl show a music box havingsl'de members 1 and 2 and an intervening't'racker 3 supported thereby.

A music spool l is shown above the traclicr 3"and'a take-up roll 5 below the same;

ArOd'G "is shown Imounted above the music spool '4 and hacking its ends slida'bly moi'infted in the "uprights land 250 that said rod may 0 slide longitudinally which is in a direction lengthwise of the music spool 4. S in rods or projections 7'7 'eX'tend out laterally from said rod 6 and areprovi'd'ed at their Out r ends with pivotallfy mes-need lug or lingers 8-8. The rod6 is mounted not onlv tor slidable longitudinalfniovcmcift, but also is capable ot rotary movement so thatthe rods 77 may be swungydown toward the lllUSlC The fingers 8',8 are heaviest a t the outer pointed ends S sothfat said ends 8 tend to drop as "shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,

thereby causing the pointed'onds 8 to strike ue spool 4 first when saidrodfi 1s swung to move the j rods or arms7'-7 ro an theroll 4. The there is proper registrationflofmusic sheet 1' ends8 havings'tru'ckthe music spool slide outwardly 'on the same until they strike the fspool'fiange's P! This constitutes an engag- -ingmeans for effecting an engagement with the music spoo'l t, and especially with the longitudinal movement on the part of the rod-6 will inove'the lOia'ccor-dingly. The

pin 10 is mounted on a valve 14 so that movement of the pin also moves the valve 14 and the latter is pivotally mounted upon a valve seat 15 as by means of a pivot 16 conveniently formed as an extension of the pin 10. Thus longitudinal movement on the part of the rod 6 operates the valve 14 upon the valve seat 15. The valve seat 15 is provided with three ports 17, 18 and 19 (Fig. 4) whereof the end ports 17 and 19 are connected with pneumatic tubes 20 and 22, respectively and the intermediate port with a tube 23 (Fig. The tube 23 is understood to be connected with some suitable wind inducing apparatus, as for example the foot bellows, either directly or indirectly. The other tubes 20 and 22 are extended to a pair of bellows 24 and 25, respectively. The pivoted valve 14 is provided with a central slot or recess 26 by which the central port 18 may be connected with either side port 17 or 19. Thus if the port 18 is connected with the port 17 the pneumatic 24 will be collapsed and if the port 19 is connected with port 18 the pneumatic 25 will be collapsed.

The pneumatics 24 and 25 are connected together by a rod 28 and the pneumatic 24 is further connected by a rod or link 29 with the lower end 30 of a slide bar 31 which is mounted above the music box top 32 and is arranged to slide longitudinally or in other words lengthwise of the tracker board and music spools. This rod 31 is provided at its other end with a downwardly extending portion 33 which engages the right hand end of the right hand music roll spindle 34. The other end of said rod 31 is connected with the left hand music roll spindle 35, whereby the longitudinal movement of the rod 31 shifts the spindles 34 and 35 and thereby shifts the music spool 4 in a longitudinal direction. The rod 31 being connected by link 29 with the two bellows 24 and 25, it is obvious that the collapse of either one or the other of these two bellows will cause a movement in one direction or the other of the rod 31 and therefore of the music spool 4., Thus it will be seen that the collapse of either one or the other of said bellows 24 and 25 causes a shifting movement in one direction or the other of said spool 4, and it will further be seen that the collapse of one or the other of said bellows and the consequent shifting movement of the music spool will be caused by an adjustment of the pivoted valve 14 and this in turn will be caused by the longitudinal movement in one direction or the other of the slide rod 6. The arrangement is such that a movement of the slide rod 6 in one direction will cause an adjustment of the music spool 4 in the opposite direction. Thus when the fingers 88 are in engagement with the flanges 4" of the music spool 4 and. said music spool becomes shifted to one side or the other so as to derange the music sheet and place it out of proper position relatively to the tracker board, such movement of the music spool will by reason of the intervening mechanism cause an actuation of the valve 14 and bellows 24 and result in the latter moving said music spool back to its original or normal position, and thereby restoring the music sheet to proper registering position with the tracker board.

It will be seen that the fingers 88 when coming into contact with the music spool 4 and the flanges 4 thereof will automatically cause an adjustment of the rod 6 and spool 4. by the establishment of an equilibrium between the pivoted fingers 88 and the music spool flanges 4. In other words, if the music spool 4 is substantially to one side of its proper position one of the fingers 8 will act against its flange 4 before the other finger 8 comes in contact with its flange, the result of which will be that the first mentioned finger will push the music spool longitudinally in a direction to bring the other flange in contact with the other finger 8, whereby the music spool is adjusted until both fingers 8 contact with the flanges 4 and are at the same inclination so that each finger pushes against its flange with the same force.

As an arrangement for automatically engaging the spool engaging means with the spool and. disengaging the same therefrom, I show an arrangement by which the rod 0 may be turned automatically by pneumatic means so as to swing the arms 7--7 toward the spool 4 when the instrument starts to play and retains it there during the playing, and also by which said arms 7 are swung upwardly and away from the spool 4 when the playing stops or when rerolling is taking place. In such arrangement an operating pneumatic 37 ig. 5) is shown having its swinging leaf 38 provided with an arm or rod 39, and this arm 39 is arranged to engage an arm 40 on the rod 6. Thus when the pneumatic 37 is expanded the arm 39 rests upon the arm 40 and by the aid of a spring 45 (Fig. 2) pushes the arm .40 downwardly so as to cause the arms 7 of the rod 6 to swing upwardly and move the fingers 8 away from the music spool 4. Thus when there is no pressure on the pneumatic 37, as for example during rerolling or when the instrument is not playing, said pneumatic 37 will be expanded and the music roll engaging means will be out of engagement with the music roll. When. however, said pneumatic 37 is collapsed. the arm 39 swings upwardly, thereby releasing the arm 40 on the rod 6 and permitting the weight of the fingers 8 and arms 7 to swing said rod 6 downwardly so as to cause the fingers 8 to engage with the music roll flanges. Thus when the instrument starts to play the pneu.

matic 87 immediately collapses and the fingers 8 automatically descend and engage the music spool and, as previou'sly'ekplained,

these fingers slide the spool in one way or or restoring action will be reliableand ac curate because of its being effected through the medium of the music spool and its flanges, instead of by means "of the music sheet itself, the latter being very irregular and varying in its width even when new,

but very soon becoming bent, crumpled and torn, so that reliability and accuracy is out of the question.

The tube 23 running to the valve seat 15 is connected to pneumatic 37, and is thus connected with the wind inducing apparatus through the same.

In my Patent No. 1,313,226, August 12, 1919, tracking devices for automatic musical instruments, application for reissue of which is now pending in the Patent Oflice, I have disclosed and claimed a sheet controlling mechanism having certain features of the mechanism herein set forth and hence certain features of the mechanism hereof are not claimed herein,

It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with the tracker, music spool and means for supporting said spool. ofimeans for automatically engaging and disengaging said spo ol, and mechanism for continuously effecting an automatic relative adjustment between said spool and tracker for trackage purposes during the playing operation. 1

2. The combination with the tracker, music roll and means for supporting said roll, of means for automatically engaging and disengaging the roll, and means for effecting a continuous automatic adjustment of said roll engaging means to secure a continuous trackage adjustment of the music sheet.

3. The combination with the tracker, music roll and means for supporting said roll, of swinging means arranged for swinging movement toward and away from the roll to become engaged with and disengaged from the same, means whereby said swinging means may be automatically swung to permit en agement with. and disengagement from said roll, and mechanism for e fecting a continlious automatic adjustment of said swingin means in a direction lengthwise of the roll and relatively to the 't'r'acl i'eir so as to secure automatic trackage adjustment.

4. The combination with the tracker and rolls supporting the music sheet, of means for engaging the flanges of one of said rolls and pneumatic mechanism operable by said flange engaging means for effecting a relative adjustment between the music sheet and the tracker.

5. The combination'with the tracker and. the music spool and take-up roll, of means for engaging the flanges of the music spool an-d i iT'Ie'ch-anis1n operable by said means for effecting a relative adjustment of theniusic sheet and tracker in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the music sheet.

' 6-. The combination with the tracker, the music spool and take-up roll, of a pair of arms provided with pivotally mounted fingers, means for supporting said arms and adjusting them so at to engage the flanges of the music spool and pneumatic mechanism operable by said arm supporting means for effecting a relative adjustment of tracker and music sheet.

7. The combination with the tracker, the music spool and take-up roll, of a longitudinally slidable bar provided with projecting arms carrying pivotally mounted fingers, valve mechanism connected with and operated by said bar and pneumatics connected with and operated by said valve mechanism.

8. The combination with the tracker, the music spool and take-up roll, of a longitudinally slidable bar provided with projecting arms carrying pivotally mounted fingers, valve mechanism connected with and operated by said bar, pneumatics connected with and operated by said valve mechanism, and means operated by said pneumatics for effecting a relative adjustment between tracker and music sheet.

9. The combination with the tracker, the music spool, and take-up roll, of a longitudinally slidable bar provided with projecting arms carrying pivotally mounted fingers, valve mechanism connected with and operated by said bar, pneumatics connected with and operated by said valve mechanism, registering mechanism operated by said pneumatics, and supplemental pneumatic means for automaticallyadjusting said bar so as to cause it to engage and disengage the music spool flanges.

10. The combination'with the tracker, the music spool, and take-up roll, of alongitudinally slidable bar provided with projecting arms carrying pivotally mounted fingers,

ated by said bar, pneumatics connected with and operated by said valve mechanism, means operated by said pneumatics for effecting a relative adjustment between the tracker and music sheet, and supplemental pneumatic means for automatically adjusting said bar so as to cause it to engage and disengage the music spool flanges, said supplemental pneumatic means being operable to cause the engagement of the music spool during the playing operation and the disengaging ol the same when the playing is discontinued.

11. The combination with the tracker and rolls for the music sheet, of means for en gaging one of said rolls, said means being movable toward and away from the roll to permit engagement therewith and disengagement therefrom, means for automatically effecting engaging and disengaging movements of said means, said engaging means being aujustable longitudinally of said roll and means for effecting a longitudinal adjust- 'means being operable by the longitudinal movement oi said roll engaging means.

In Witness whereof, I hereimto subscrilm my name this 27th day of April, A. 1)., 1.917.

ADOLPH P. G STAFSON.

Witnesses:

-A. L. J oNns.

HAZ L A. J ONES. 

